Fireproof guideway for doors and shutters.



buckle,

I ITED STATES PANT OFFICE.

WAINWRIGHT B. GERVAIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR T0 VARIETYMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

FIREPROOF GUIDEWAY FOR DOORS AND SHUTTERS.

Application filed March 26, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vi AINWRIGHT B. GERVAIS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FireproofGuideways for Doors and Shutters, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction of guideway formetallic doors and shutters by which the parts of the guideway may movefreely relatively to each other and relatively to the support of theguideway when subjected to a dangerous rise of temperature.

When guideways of the kind under con sideration are constructed withoutprovision for permitting movement of one part relatively to another whensubjected to high temperature, as for example, when a fire is inprogress on one side of a dividing wall through which an opening isformed protected by a fireproof shutter or door, the guideways for thedoor or shutter are apt to and thus either interfere with the properoperation of the door or shutter or form an opening between the edge ofthe door or shutter and the wall through which the fire may pass, orboth, and it is to provide against this result that the parts of theguide-way are made so they may move rela tively to each other whensubjected to a dangerous rise in temperature.

My present invention consists in providing layers of filling materialbetween the adjacent surfaces of the parts of the guideway, so that theclamping devices employed to secure the parts of the guideway togetherwill firmly clamp these parts against the intermediate filling layers.The devices employed for securing the parts of the guideway together arepreferably contained in enlarged openings through the parts of theguideway, so that ready movement of the parts relatively to each othermay be facilitated when the parts are otherwise released from eachother. In practice, I find it desirable to apply the layer of fillingmaterial directly to the surface of the parts of the guideway, thisfilling material having a low melting point, so that when the guidewayis subjected to a dangerous rise in temperature,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915. Serial No. 827,380.

the layers of material will melt out from between the parts of theguideway and thus release them from the clamping action of the devicesnormally holding the guideway together, and in this released conditionthe parts of the guideway may move freely relatively to each other, sothat any unequal contraction or expansion of the parts will not causethe guideway to buckle.

The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows z Figure 1shows in elevation a metallic roller shutter provided with guideways inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view takenalong the line 22 in Fig. 1, showing the construction of the guidewayitself; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2,taken along the line 88.

imilar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, a wall 1 is provided with an opening 2 therethrough,which opening may be closed by means of a metallic roller shutter 3. Theedges of the shutter 3 are received in guideways 4e and 5 by which theedges are held in closed relation to the wall 1 when the shutter isclosed.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each guideway consists of an angle-bar 6secured to the wall 1 by means of bolts 7, and to the outstanding leg ofthis angle-bar two other anglebars 8 and 9 are secured, either by boltsor by rivets 10, as desired, these angle-bars being of such proportionsthat their outstanding legs form a channel guideway for the edge of theshutter 3. The angle-bars 8 and 9 are provided with slots 11 and 12 forreceiving the rivets 10, with the exception of the upper one of suchrivets in each guideway, and as a result, when the anglebars are free tomove relatively to each other, the slots 11 and 12 readily permit thismovement. The bolts 7 are similarly provided with slots in the leg ofthe anglebar 6 adjacent to the wall 1, so that said angle-bar may moverelatively to the wall when expanded and contracted.

The angle-bars 8 and 9 have coated upon their surfaces adjacent to theangle-bars 6 and 8 respectively layers 13 and 14 of filling materialsufficiently hard under normal temperatures to properly hold theguideway in. position, but having a low enough melting point so that theapplication of a dangerous rise of temperature will melt the fillingmaterial and thus loosen the clamping bolts or rivets and permit motionof the parts of the guideway relatively to each other. The angle-bar 6may be similarly provided upon its surface adjacent to the wall 1 with alayer of filling material 15. This material may consist of asphalt,pitch, tar, or similar substances mixed with solvent or oil and otherhardening materials, such, for example, as resin, so that the compoundmay have the desired consistency and melting point, as a result of whichit may be applied as a thick paint to the surfaces to be coatedtherewith. It is immaterial what the nature of this compound is, as longas it is readily fusible or disintegrable by the application of adangerous rise in temperature.

The essential feature of the invention is that the parts of the guidewayshall be separated by filling material. which will be readily fused ordisintegrated by the application of a dangerous rise in temperature, sothat the use of special fastening devices may be done away with. \Vhilethe fusible material is a spacer for the metallic members, I prefer tohave the fusible material carried by the metallic members in the form ofa coating which may be readily applied to said metallic members in anysuitable way, such for instance as by dipping in a bath of the fusiblematerial in a liquid state, or by coating the metallic members in anyother suitable manner. As a result, the parts of the guideway may beprepared in the shop before shipment, and the expense involved istrifling compared with that involved in using some of theheat-responsive fastening devices heretofore employed.

It is immaterial whether the parts of the guideway be secured togetherby bolts or rivets, as the result will be the same regardless of thenature of the fastening devices, as long as the parts prepared asdescribed above are rigidly secured together in any manner known in theart. It is also immaterial what the particular construction of theguideway may be or how the guide for the door or shutter is formed aslong as the parts of the guideway are provided on their adjacentsurfaces with layers of readily fusible or disintegrable material, asdescribed above.

Inasmuch as the fusible material lies between the metallic members, itis housed and protected thereby and cannot become broken ofi ordislodged by blows struck against the exterior of the structure. It ispreferred to have the fusible material extend the length Copies of thispatent may be obtained for of the surface to which it is applied, inorder that an abnormal rise in temperature will be conducted quicklythroughout the fusible material.

What I claim is:

1. In a guideway for doors or shutters, the combination of a pluralityof metal bars extending longitudinally of the guideway, layers offilling material between adjacent surfaces of said bars and adapted tobe disintegrated by the application of a dangerous rise in temperature,and clamping devices for holding the bars together.

2. In a metallic guideway for doors or shutters, the combination of aplurality of metal bars, a coating of material of low meltingtemperature onadjacent surfaces of said bars, said coatings being ofmaterial thicknesses and spacing the bars, and fastening devices forholding the bars together.

3. In a fireproof guideway, the combina tion of a plurality of metallicbars, fastening devices for securing the bars together, said bars havingclearance openings in them around the fastening devices to permitmovement of the bars relatively to each other when the bars are releasedfrom each other, and layers of material between adjacent surfaces ofsaid bars, said material being disintegrable by the application of. adangerous rise of temperature.

4:. A bar for a metallicguideway having one of its faces provided with acoating of material readily disintegrable by a dangerous rise oftemperature, said coating having a material thickness and extendingthroughout substantially the length of the face to which it is applied.

5. Ina fireproof structure, a pair of metallic members, means rigidlyfastening the members together, and a spacer interposed between themembers, said spacer having a low melting point, substantially as andfor the purpose described. 7

6. In a fireproof structure, a pair of metallic members, means rigidlyfastening the members together, and a spacer for said members, saidspacer having a low melting point and in the form of a coating on eachof the adjacent faces of the metallic members and extendingsubstantially throughout the length of said faces.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of March,A. D. 1914.

WAINWRIGHT B. GERVAIS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents Washington,D. G.

